Container closure



CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Sept. 12, 1935 Patented Mar. -1 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER CLOSURE Semon H. Stupakoif, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application September 12, 1935, Serial No. 40,299

' 11 Claims. (01. 215-8) My invention relates generally to a new and useful improvement in container closures and more particularly to an improved stopper or closure for use in bottles and like receptacles by means of which the re-use of the bottle may be readily-detected.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel construction for a bottle or receptacle closure, having displaceable elements or parts,

which will clearly reveal whether or not the contents of the bottle have been partially or wholly removed or whether an attempt has been made to tamper with the contents. It is herein represented as applied to a bottle.

My invention further relates to means whereby the displaced elements of the closure may not be restored to their original positions after the closure has been attached to the receptacle and the displaceable portions released to permit access to the contents of the receptacle.

My invention also contemplates provision of a sealing groove between the neck of the bottle and the closure, so that when the closure is secured in place by means of cement any excess cement will be displaced into the .groove and thereby prevented from flowing or oozing into the bottle.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the present preferred embodiment of my invention and in which like numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the same, Figure 1 represents a sectional view showing the closure in position in the neck of a bottle,

Figure 1A is a sectional view of a portion of the top of the neck of the bottle and the closure on a scale larger than the scale in Figure 1,

Figure 2 is a View in general similar to Figure 1, showing the displaceable portions of the closure immediately after displacement, Figure 3 is a. plan view along the line IlIlJI of Figure 1,

Figure 4 isa view partly in section of the assembled stopper,

Figures 5 and 6 are views in elevation of various parts of the closure,

Figures 7 and 8 are inverted plan views of Fig- 'ures 5 and 6, respectively,

Figure 9 shows a modification of my invention, Figure 10 shows a further modification of my .50 invention,

, Figure 11 is a. plan view of a detailed part of Figure 10, and

Figure 12 shows another modification of my intle or other suitable receptacle in which a stopper or closure 2 of suitable size,'made according to my invention, is inserted. In Figure 1, a screw cap 3 is shown, which engages with the external threads 4 on the bottle neck. Between the cap 5 and the stopper a gasket 5 of suitable material is placed. Formed on the upper portion of the bottle neck I is a seat or shoulder 6. The stopper 2 comprises a liner member and closing plugs, and may or may not have a. sealing 10 gasket. The liner member or bushing 1 is of a suitable size to fit into the open end of the bottle neck I and has an inclined opening 8 in the top thereof which terminates in an inwardly projecting annular lip 9. The bushing may be made of i 15 any material which will not adversely affect or be aiiected by the contents of the bottle. I prefer to use a material which is easily and readily moldable, such as glass, ceramic material, or moldable plastic. The bushing or liner member 1 is pro- 20 vided at its lower end with an internal thread l0. Inserted into the bushing from the bottom is a plug orreleasing element H of approximately the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of bushing 1. The plug I I has an annulariiange or shoulder portion I2 which engages the annular lip 8 of the liner member to limit the outward movement of the plug and' which prevents the plug from being inserted from the top of the bushing. The plug or releasing element H (see 30 Figures 5 and 7) has one or more ratchet-like, projections or teeth I3 on its lower surface, and its opposite end or upper surface has a cross-slot M of suitable size to be readily engaged by a coin. Screwed into the bottom of bushing l is a thread- 35 ed plug or releasableelement l5 (see Figures 6 and 8) This plug has one or more ratchet-like portions or teeth 16 on its upper face adapted to engage the teeth l3 on plug l I On the lower face of plug [5 a cross-slot ll of suitable size is 40 provided for enabling the member l5. to be readily turned in assembling the stopper. Plug l5 has an external thread l8 thereon which is adapted to cooperate with internal thread ll] of bushing I. The pitch of these threads preferably is such that the plug l5 need only be turned through not more than 360 to insert or remove it from the bushing 1. Plug I5 can be made from any suitable ma-. terial as aforementioned in connection with the description of plug ll.

The seat or shoulderfi of bottle neck I has an annular groove or'depression l9 therein. This groove is of importance when the closure or stop per 3. is cemented in place in the bottle neck. As the stopper fits as closely as economical manu- 5 all other particulars and when assembled, and.

the ratchet teeth engage.

facturing conditions will permit, it is diflicult to accurately gauge and apply the correct amount of cement to properly seal the stopper in the bottle. The groove I9 is designed to receive any excess cement and prevent it from running or oozing into the bottle.

The stopper is assembled before being put in the bottle by placing plug H on plug I5 so that The plugs are then inserted in bushing 'I and screwed up to the position shown in Figure 4, so that the shoulder I2 of plug I I is in contact with annular lip 9 of the bushing I. The assembled stopper, as shown in Figure 4, is then placed in position in the .neck of the previously filled bottle and cemented in place by use of a cement which is so adherent that the stopper cannot be removed without destruction of the bottle neck or the closure.

To gain access to the contents of the bottle, after removal of the cap 3 and gasket 5, a coin or other convenient article, is inserted in the cross-slot I4 of plug II and turned in the direction to unscrew plug I5 from the liner member I. Plugs I I and I5 will then both drop down into the bottle, as shown in Figure 2, and the contents of the bottle may be poured out. It is impossible to insert new plugs in the bushing I from the top and impossible to reset plugs -II and I5 which have fallen into the bottle. One

attempting to re-set plugs II and I5 would have to hold the filled bottle upside down and manipulate the loose plugs until plug II fell into bushing I and then further manipulate the bottle until plug I5 engaged the threads in the lower portion of bushing I. Even were this accomplished, it would be impossible to screw plug I5 into operative position in the bushing because the direction of the ratchet teeth on both plugs is such that they cooperate only when turning in one direction and in that direction-the plugs are loosened and not tightened. If the bottle is refilled and any other stopper is used, the presence of plugs I I and I5 in the bottle immediately reveals that the bottle has been re-used;

The modification shown in Figure 9 is similar to the arrangement already described, except that the bottle is shown without having external threads on the neck and a portion of the bottle neck has an unstanding lip 2a which surrounds the upper portion of the stopper. Between the shoulder I2 of plug 1 and the annular lip 9, a gasket 20 isinterposed. This arrangement will provide a thorough seal for the contents of the bottle independently of a screw cap or other device. Of course, if desired, a similar gasket could also be used in the arrangement illustrated in Figures 1, 1A, and 2. In all other respects the stopper illustrated is identical in construction with that which has already been described.

In the modification shown in Figure 10, the neck of the bottle and the outside of the liner Ia have cooperating straight sides and a groove 2| is formed in the inside of the neck 2a and a groove 22 is formed on the outside of the liner Ia. The arrangement of the stopper is alike in just before the stopper is inserted in the neck, a retaining ring 23, shown in detail in Figure 11, is compressed in groove 22, and, when the stopper is placed in position in the neck, the ring will expand part way into groove 2| and this will securely lock the stopper against removal. The ring 23 may conveniently be formed of resilient metal.

In the structure shown in Figure 12, thereleasable element or plug 24 is a dish-shaped member having internal threads 25 and ratchetlike projections or teeth IBa, which teeth are similar in form and function to teeth I6 already described in connection with plug I5 and 5 illustrated in Figures 6 and 8. The liner member 11) has a depending portion 70 with external threads which engage with threads 25 on plug 24. In all other respects, the arrangement and construction of this stopper is the same as that: 10 which has already been described.

I have shown and specifically described certain present preferred embodiments of my invention, but it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise constructed and em- 15 bodied within the scope of the following claims,

It will be further understood that the modifications shown in the diiferent figures may be variously combined, for example, the gasket shown in Figure 9 could be includedin a modification 20 similar to Figure 1, or agasket could be interposed in Figure 12 between plug 24 and portion 10 of liner 1b. Various other combinations will" readily occur to one skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A container stopper comprising a liner member adapted to be irremovably secured in the container opening and having a passageway therethrough,.a releasable element for said passageway and so positioned that when it is re- 30 leased it falls into the container, separate means wholly within the liner member above the releasable element for operating the releasable element to release it, and retainers on the liner and. the releasable element, operating means for 3 preventing Withdrawal of said last mentioned means when positioned in the liner member above the releasable element.

2. A closure for a container having a relatively restricted opening therethrough, comprising a 40 bushing seated in said opening, a plug having threaded engagement with the inner end of the bushing, and a separate releaser in the bushing accessible from the exterior of the container for unscrewing said plug, inter-engaging connec- 45 accessible from the exterior of the container for 55' unscrewing said plug, inter-engaging connections between the bushing and the releaser to prevent outward removal of the releaser, having driving coaction with said plug in the unscrewing direction' only and being free to drop by gravity into '50 the container after said plug has been unscrewed.

4. A closure for a container having a relatively restricted opening therethrough, comprising a bushing seated in said opening, a plug having threaded engagement with the inner end of the 55 bushing. and a separate releaser accessible from the exterior of the container for unscrewing said plug, said releaser having driving coaction with said plug in the unscrewing direction only, interengaging connections between the bushing and 70 releaser to prevent the outward removal of the releaser from the bushing, said plug and said releaser being insertable in the bushing only from her having a passageway therethrough, said passageway having an internally threaded portion, a releasable element for said passageway having a threaded portion for cooperation with the threaded passageway, a separate releaser accessible from the exterior of the container for tuming said element in one direction only when in position in the passageway, and inter-engaging connections between the liner member and releaser to prevent the outward removal of the releaser from the liner.

6. A container stopper comprising a liner inember having a passageway therethrough and an externally threaded portion, a releasable element for said passageway having a threaded portion for cooperating with the threaded liner member, a separate releaser accessible from the exterior of the container for unscrewing said releasable element, said releaser having driving coaction with the releasable element in the unscrewing direction only, and inter-engaging connections between the liner member and releaser to prevent the outward removal of the releaser from the liner.

7. A closure for a container having a relatively restricted opening therethrough, comprising a bushing seated in said opening, a plug having threaded engagement with the inner end of the bushing, a separate releaser accessible from the exterior of the container for unscrewing said plug, said releaser having driving coaction with said plug in the unscrewing direction only, and inter-engaging connections between the bushing and the releaser for preventing withdrawal of said releaser from the outside of the container.

8. A closure for a container having a relatively restricted opening therethrough, comprising a bushing seated in said opening, a plug having threaded engagement with the inner end of the bushing, a separate releaser accessible from the exterior of the container for unscrewing said plug, said releaser having driving coaction with said plug in the unscrewing direction only, interengaging connections between the bushing and the releaser for preventing withdrawal of said releaser from the outside of the container, said bushing being cemented to said container, and means for preventing the cementing material from oozing into the bottle.

9. A container stopper comprising a liner adapted to be irremovably secured in the con- 'tainer opening and having a passage therethrough, a releasable closure element for said passageway, a separate releaser for said element in the liner above said element, and inter-engaging connections between the releaser and the liner arranged to prevent removal of the releaser outwardly through the liner, said releasable element and the releaser being free to drop into the container when the releasable element is released.

10. A container stopper comprising a liner adapted to be irremovably secured in the container opening and having a passage therethrough, a releasable closure element for said passageway, a separate releaser for said element in the liner supported on said element, interengaging connections between the releaser and the liner arranged to prevent removal of the releaser outwardly through the liner, said releasable element and the releaser being free to drop into the container when the releasable element is released, and means for irremovably securing the liner to the container.

11. A container stopper comprising a' liner adapted to be irremovably secured in the con-- SEMON H. STUPAEKOFF, 

